A reduced bronze version of the Laocoon, one of the most celebrated marbles from Roman antiquity, discovered near the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, on 14th January 1506. It was bought by Pope Julius II and placed in the Belvedere. The marble was widely reproduced from the Renaissance. It depicts Laocoon and his two sons engaged in a desperate fight with snakes, sent by the goddess Minerva to kill them. This version of the Laocoon was made by Ferdinand Barbedienne whose workshop in Paris specialised in the production of bronze reductions of Antique, Renaissance and Baroque sculpture.

Provenance: Given to Prince Albert by Queen Victoria on his birthday, 26th August 1854 [Victoria & Albert: Art & Love, London, 2010, pg 460]

Text from Royal Collection Trust website

Object description
Type: Sculpture
Location: Osborne House, Isle of Wight
Material: Bronze
Artist: Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-92)
Date: 1854

Image Details
Date: 11 June 2024
Camera body: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6G ED
Focal Length: 18mm
Aperture: ƒ/3.5
Shutter Speed: 1/50s
ISO: 800
Licensing: Image of a Royal Collection Trust asset. This image cannot be licensed.